Our life living off the land in our log cabin, breathing fresh mountain air, and getting back to basics.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Grouse, More Sprouts & Interesting Insects

Today I will share a bit of this and that.

I'll start with the most intriguing part of the day, which happened to occur this afternoon. We decided that we wanted to check in on mama Grouse (click here for yesterdays post to catch up on the Grouse story) to make sure she had in fact returned to the nest, and Johny wanted to check the batteries on the critter cam to be sure we didn't miss out on what could be a once in a lifetime opportunity (they are working and the camera repositioned to an optimal viewing spot). There she was, sitting proudly on her clutch, watching us closely. Then she took off, once again trying to distract us. And so did we, in order to leave the area as undisturbed as possible.

First thing this morning, we planted our watermelon, tomato and the rest of our squash seeds, as this was a good day for planting according to the Farmers' Almanac. And then I spotted more sprouts...
...beets...

...corn...

...pole beans...

...squash.

Woo hoo for the sprouts!

This ant was sitting on the top of the garden fence as I was heading back to the cabin after sowing all those seeds...it reminded me of the song "the ants go marching 1 by 1"...I guess it was sitting there letting the sun dry the dew off its back.

We also went hunting (and found, yay) morel mushrooms again. I was intrigued when I spotted this group of butterflies and moths enjoying whatever nutrients it is they suck out of the gravel...

Later this afternoon, when I took a walk to the garden to get in a little quality time (I like to talk to the seeds and seedlings to encourage healthy growth...I know...some might think this a little odd, but I think it works) I found this spider munching on some dinner. Funny thing is, I didn't realize it was eating until I uploaded my photos...

When I returned to the cabin, I went to look at one of my very favorite plants in the yard, a Rare Pinkshell Azalea , which is just beginning to bloom. As I crouched there taking pictures, this interesting insect landed and began sucking the nectar...another moment of being in the right place at the right time.

It's been a captivating and productive day...I hope yours has been too!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise

About Me

There are moments in life when you are reminded of how precious every moment is, and how important it is to love what you live. A favorite quote by Mark Twain “twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones that you did” was posted in my office. Following several undesirable events occurring in my life recently, most significantly my younger brother passing away unexpectedly, I knew it was time to “sail away from the safe harbor” (more of the same quote).
So my retired husband (best friend/confidant/Mountain Man) and I decided we wanted to go to the place we loved most, our log cabin in the Smoky Mountains, and “live off the land”. Time to…Simplify…Explore…Appreciate…Discover…Learn… Grow…
So I resigned from my job and here we are. I am recording the adventure in this blog. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I know I will.